Look To The Stars News: Bob Dylan

Singers Combine Talents To Support America’s Farmers

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0000

A 23-year-old music tradition continues on September 20 as Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young grace the stage at Farm Aid 2008.

While it’s the first time the event will be in New England, it’s not the first time Farm Aid will make a lot of noise. With the mission of combining great music and a great cause, musicians and organizers hope to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep struggling family farms afloat.

While not often covered in the media, there is a crisis facing family farmers in the United States today. Farmers are under intense economic pressure, especially during a recession, and every year thousands are forced off their land. As a result, our quality of food, environment, and food security suffers as large factory farms dominate the rural countryside.

Some think that with that loss of small family farms comes a loss of America.

“We’re at a moment when a lot of people are asking, ‘What is America? What represents America?’ Certainly, I think that the family farm is a main ingredient of what made America,” says Dave Matthews, musician and member of the board of directors of Farm Aid since 2001.

With the scares of tainted tomatoes, spinach, and jalapenos still fresh in American’s minds, people are looking to local farmers to provide safe, delicious, and organic goods. As a result, family farmers are at a higher demand than ever before and it is important to keep these people financially safe and secure.

“There’s a new food movement sweeping the country and Farm Aid is doing all we can to promote that movement,” says Willie Nelson, well-known folk musician and president of Farm Aid.

Every year Farm Aid funds farm support organizations that assist farmers with services including financial and credit counseling, legal advice, and disaster and emergency services. After the recent flooding in the Midwest in June, Farm Aid provided emergency funds for families to buy food and cover living expenses, as well as provided groups to help farmers avoid foreclosure. However, without the nation’s attention and support, Farm Aid’s work could not continue. It is the annual high-profile concert that ultimately keeps Farm Aid alive and running.

“Farm Aid puts family farmers on center stage,” says Caryoln Mugar, Executive Director. “We shine a national spotlight on family farmers – for our food, our health, our environment, our country. Farm Aid has always done that.”

As the longest running benefit concert in America, its ties have remained strong with famous musicians. Young, Mellencamp, and Nelson first organized the event in 1985, which took place in Champlain, Illinois. Throughout its run, famous musicians such as Elton John, Billy Joel, and Bob Dylan have performed in the hope of saving America’s family farmers.

This year’s lineup includes the three founding members of Farm Aid, as well as Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson, Dave Matthews, and One Flew South. While the concert is sold out, Farm Aid is sponsoring the Farmer Hero Sweepstakes that will give one winner and three lucky guests the chance to see the concert — which takes place in Mansfield, Massachusetts — for free. There are two ways to enter. One is to simply enter your name and email address on the Farm Aid website. The second option is to submit a 150 word true story about a farmer who you believe is a true hero.

Even if you can’t make it to this year’s concert there are always ways to help support Farm Aid and its mission of saving the family farmer. Anyone can make a donation or become a member. Even a visit to the Farm Aid shop will help support family farmers.

Every little bit counts, as through the efforts of Farm Aid and people across the nation, over $30 million dollars has been raised to support the family farmer, which in turn, has helped build a sound agricultural future for America.

To learn more about Farm Aid 2008 and the sweepstakes, visit http://www.farmaid.org.

Who Wants To Be A Roadie For The Who?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Following last week’s announcement that they are to donate the proceeds from an upcoming concert to charity, classic British rockers The Who are offering one lucky fan the chance to roadie for them on their new tour in a special online auction to raise money for a charity that inspires at-risk youth with the assistance of homeless shelter dogs.

Fans are already bidding over $20,000 for the opportunity to join the band on the road and hang out with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend on their US tour. But that’s not all that’s on offer: bidders also have the chance to pick up signed memorabilia from Bob Dylan, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Harrison Ford, David Gray, Robert Plant, Kevin Spacey, Tom Hanks, Hilary Duff, Justin Long, Tori Spelling, and Hayden Panettiere.

The auction, which runs until August 24 and can be accessed through Ebay Giving Works, is raising money for K9 Connection, a charity that allows at-risk 12- to 18-year-old children train homeless shelter dogs in basic obedience, assisting the dogs to develop the skills to become adoptable. The organization aims to empower high-risk youth to apply the lessons they teach the dogs to their own lives: to develop an awareness of the risks of uncontrolled and impulsive behavior, and to believe in the power of positive reinforcement as an alternative to force and violence.

“Be a Who roadie for a day,” said Roger Daltrey, lead singer for The Who, known for their habit of destroying their equipment onstage. “And if you get the job – good luck… you’re gonna need it!”

Farm Aid 2008 To Rock New England

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rocker John Mellencamp has unveiled the main acts set to kick up a storm at Farm Aid 2008.

The concert – which will take place on September 20 – will be held for the first time in New England, and will see performances by Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and Willie Nelson, all of which are on the board of directors for Farm Aid. More acts will be announced over the next few weeks.

“We are proud to bring our annual Farm Aid concert to a region that has such strong agricultural roots and to the many people who love to eat the good food grown in New England,” said Nelson, Farm Aid’s president. “I’m looking forward to bringing my friends together on the Farm Aid stage to celebrate and support family farmers.”

Now entering its 23rd year, Farm Aid has raised more than $23 million for family farms and organic agricultural initiatives since the first concert in 1985. A plethora of stars have appeared at the concerts to increase awareness of the importance of family farms over the years, including Jon Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, Sammy Hagar, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Charley Pride, and Lou Reed.

“New England was built on the strength of independent family farmers,” said Mellencamp. “We can honor that independent spirit by joining Farm Aid to grow the movement that is changing the way all of America eats.”

The concert will take place at the Comcast Arena in Mansfield. Tickets go on sale July 28 through Ticketmaster.

Captain Planet Fights For The Environment

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:52:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Captain Planet is back! And thanks to Ted Turner, the super hero who has battled eco-villains such as the radioactive Duke Nukem and toxic waste polluter Sly Sludge is once again fighting for the very Earth that we inhabit.

The cartoon hero made an appearance at a special auction held last week to celebrate Earth Day that featured guitars signed by Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, trips to Costa Rica and Turner’s Vermejo Park ranch, as well as a dinner with Turner himself. The auction was hosted by Chevy Chase, who set up the Centre For Environmental Education with his wife 18 years ago to strive for environmental understanding.

Proceeds from the auction went to the Captain Planet Foundation, an organization established by Turner in 1991 and inspired by his successful, educational, and entertaining cartoon series. The Foundation provides a unique opportunity for schools and organizations around the world to present their environmental projects to the Captain himself to receive the seed money to grow their ideas into community service learning projects.

Artists Come Out To Shake the Blues

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:17:52 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

The charity Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) held its annual concert and auctions on Thursday November, 15, 2007 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The “Shaking the Blues” benefit supports ANSA’s work fighting HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Africa, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Treatment Action Campaign, a grassroots organization at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Among the celebrities in attendance were Blair Underwood, Eric Benet, Anthony Anderson, Alfre Woodard, Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Grey’s Anatomy star James Pickens Jr. Event chairs include Jackson Browne, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez, Carlos Santana’s wife Deborah, Alfre Woodard and Forest Whitaker.

Not only was a baseball signed by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield on hand at the silent auction, but Dave and his wife Tonya attended the event. Close friends with Samuel and Latonya Jackson, the Winfields hope to personally visit South Africa soon.

The musical line-up featured stirring performances by The Roots and friends, Erykah Badu with Edith Funker, Nikka Costa, Doyle Bramhall II, Keb Mo, and Taj Mahal. The Roots roused the crowd with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War, and the audience rose for Erykah Badu’s performance of her classic On and On.

In keeping with many other recent celebrity events, acknowledgement was given to the writers’ strike; James Pickens Jr spoke of supporting the writers before he introduced the grand finale performance by Taj Mahal.

Movie and K-ville star Anthony Anderson served as auctioneer for the live auction. As Blair Underwood battled for a diamond earring lot, Anderson comically referred to him only as “the man with the orange leather jacket on”. Underwood’s counter-bidder upped the ante, requesting a date with her opponent be included along with the earrings, which she won at $9,000. Not only did Underwood accept, but he promised it would be a dinner at the world-famous restaurant Spagos.

To encourage higher bids on a private lunch with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anderson jokingly suggested that the winner could take a picture with Tutu and put it on Myspace.com to be the envy of their friends. The lunch went for $15,500.

Los Angeles-based non-profit organization ANSA was originally founded in 1989 by noted members of the entertainment community, with an initial goal of supporting the struggle against apartheid. Over time, the organization’s focus has shifted to the fight against the African AIDS pandemic, advancing democracy, and equality in South Africa.

The effort to raise money is not over. If you want help the cause their are several items available at the online auction. To bid on the online items: www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

Musicians Offer A Second Serve For Charity

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:49:53 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An eclectic gathering of veteran rockers and new artists are featured on a new CD released this month to help fight world hunger and poverty.

Serve2 is a collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks released by Hard Rock International to benefit World Hunger Year (WHY), a leading organization in the fight against hunger and poverty.

The CD, which follows a similar release earlier in 2007, features live, studio, acoustic, and electric performances by some of rock’s biggest selling artists, as well as Grammy winners and critically acclaimed musicians. Hard Rock is well known for its commitment to music, but philanthropy is the company’s soul, and this is witnessed in their involvement in projects such as this.

“We are honored to be partnering once again with Hard Rock and such great musicians for this effort,” said WHY Chief Executive and founder, Bill Ayres. “The generosity and time committed to Serve2 has been tremendous, and we are overwhelmed by the support for the cause.”

WHY was formed in 1975 by Ayres, a radio talk-show host, and singer/songwriter Harry Chapin. Chapin’s daughter, Jen, who features on Serve2, said that her father “saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America”. Many of his concerts were benefit performances for the 82 charities he was known to support, and the sales of all his concert merchandise were donated directly to WHY. At the time of his death in 1981, it was discovered that Chapin had donated almost all of his personal fortune to charity. Today, WHY is an international non-profit organization that connects grass roots charities to funding expertise and publicity.

Serve2 is available both in CD format and digitally, with bonus tracks available on the digital version. The full tracklist includes:

1. Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad (live in Dublin)

2. KT Tunstall – Heal Over (live at Gaia Music, London)

3. Bob Dylan – The Ballad of Hollis Brown (live at Carnegie Hall, 1963)

4. Joss Stone – Big Ol’ Game

5. Jackson Browne – Casino Nation (live in Melbourne)

6. Citizen Cope feat. Alice Smith – 107 Degrees

7. Brandi Carlile – The Times They Are A-Changing (live in Boston)

8. Marc Broussard – Bring It On Home To Me

9. The Hold Steady – Arms and Hearts

10. OAR – Dareh Meyod (live in Madison Square Garden)

11. Natasha Bedingfield – Lay Down

12. Mat Kearney – Nothing Left To Lose (acoustic version)

13. Ghosts – Stay The Night

14. Andrew WK – This Is My World

Digital bonus tracks include:

1) Toby Lightman – Better (live at Joe’s Pub)

2) Sons of William – Bell Bottom Blues (Eric Clapton cover)

3) Hellogoodbye – Baby It’s Fact (live in New York)

4) Josh Rouse – Start Again

5) Jen Chapin – You Haven’t Done Nothing (Stevie Wonder cover)

6) Eli Cook – Man Child

7) Griffin House – Love To Begin

Also available as part of Hard Rock’s commitment to WHY is a 21st Signature Series T shirt, sweatshirt, and commemorative pin, inspired by Bruce Springsteen, which features a drawing of one of The Boss’ favorite guitars.

The Serve2 CD, the clothing, and the pin are available at Hard Rock stores around the world, as well as at www.hardrock.com and www.worldhungeryear.org. The digital format CD, including the bonus tracks, is also available through these websites, as well as through most major online retail stores. 100% of all proceeds go to WHY.

Music Memorabilia Charity Auction Raises $2.4 Million

Tue, 01 May 2007 17:48:03 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

An auction of music memorabilia from celebrities including Jimi Hendrix, The Edge, Bono and Paul McCartney has raised $2.4 million, much of which will go to a charity for musicians.

Music Rising, whose founders include U2 guitarist The Edge, replaces musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Edge donated his favourite guitar, a 1975 Gibson Les Paul that has been played on every U2 tour to date. Like many of the items sold, the guitar’s forecast sale price of $60,000 to $80,000 was greatly exceeded by the eventual winning bid of $288,000.

Further guitars owned by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney were sold for $480,000, $192,000 and $81,600 respectively, while a pair of sunglasses belonging to Bono fetched $24,000.

Bidding at the auction on 21st April lasted three hours longer than planned, and all 204 lots were sold. 100% of the proceeds from many items will go directly to Music Rising, while other items were sold only partly to benefit the charity.

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